A Twitter thread by Sahil Bloom

The Paradox of Effort: You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless. Effortless, elegant performances are often just the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice. Small things become big things. Simple is not simple.

Save

Share

One classic story of the Paradox of Effort: Picasso in the market https://t.co/4r0j355yL7

Save

Share

The elegance of elite athletic performers is another perfect example. Roger Federer and Lionel Messi are masters of the Paradox of Effort. https://t.co/TU8uSM9YnW

Save

Share

Bruce Lee expressed the Paradox of Effort well. The highest state is attained when there is no interference from the mind to make something appear effortful. The maximum, with the minimum. https://t.co/nR9o4UP9HH

Save

Share

Just something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately… What other examples have you seen of the Paradox of Effort? Follow me @SahilBloom for more musings on interesting ideas.

Save

Share

“There are a whole bunch of roles where people say, 'Oh, you're playing yourself.' I guess it's kind of a compliment. Or people say, 'Oh, man, you just roll out of bed and do that.' The work is to make it look effortless. That's the hard part.” — Matthew McConaughey https://t.co/u5EZ5H1QL6

Save

Share

The other angle on this I’ve been thinking about: Elite performers have their flywheels spinning so fast and efficiently that they generate incredible incremental speed from a tiny unit of incremental effort. Their output per unit of input builds upon itself.

Save

Share

A 15th century Italian courtier and author named Baldassare Castiglione coined the term “sprezzatura” to describe a studied, effortful nonchalance. Sprezzatura is earned elegance.

Save

Share

You can find a lot of examples of the Paradox of Effort in ancient architecture and design. This doorway in Jaipur is simply spectacular. An incredible body of effort to create something that simply flows elegantly. https://t.co/pAuZLsJJ3w

Save

Share

In nature, the Chinese bamboo tree: It doesn’t break through the ground for 5 years, but once it breaks through, it can grow up to 100 feet in 5 weeks. The growth appears effortless, but is the result of many years of effort below the surface. https://t.co/jC2OVkK8qR

Save

Share